After Loss Guide exists because dealing with bereavement in the UK is harder than it needs to be. When someone dies, you're expected to navigate a maze of phone calls, paperwork and processes — often while grieving, often with no idea where to start.
Most of the information online is either generic ("funeral costs range from X to Y"), hidden behind sales funnels, or buried in government websites that assume you already know what you're looking for.
We wanted to build something better: a single, comprehensive resource with specific, practical information. Real phone numbers. Real costs. Real processes — not vague ranges and disclaimers.
How we research
Every piece of information on this site is researched from primary sources:
- Company bereavement processes are sourced directly from each company's own bereavement or deceased customer pages, verified by reviewing their published procedures.
- Funeral costs and fees come from crematorium and council fee schedules — the actual documents they publish. We include the source URL and the date we last verified each figure.
- Legal and financial information (probate, inheritance tax, benefits) is sourced from gov.uk, HMRC guidance, and relevant legislation. We link to the specific gov.uk page wherever possible.
- Benefits and entitlements are verified against current gov.uk eligibility criteria and payment rates.
What we don't do
- We don't give legal advice. We explain processes and point you to the right resources.
- We don't give financial advice. We present facts and figures so you can make informed decisions.
- We don't speculate. If we're not sure about something, we say so and direct you to someone who can help.
- We don't sell funeral plans, insurance or legal services. If we ever recommend a service, we'll be transparent about any commercial relationship.
Keeping information current
Fees, processes and regulations change. Council crematorium fees are typically updated in April each year. Government benefit rates change annually. Company processes are updated without notice.
We review and update our content regularly. Every page shows when it was last updated, and every fee table shows when the data was last verified. If you spot something that's changed, please let us know — we'll update it promptly.
Get in touch
If you have a question, correction, or suggestion, we'd genuinely like to hear from you. Use our contact form and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.